Tale from my childhood: me and Sohan Singh

Sometimes small incidents give us the realization that life is certainly worth living. When I was in the 4th standard at the Stanes High School at Coimbatore, my father brought a boy a few years older than me to work as a help in the house. Sohan Singh or as we called him Sohani was a lad with infinite energy and as he had been brought from our village back in Punjab, he felt he was in safe hands with us, Sohani was a nice handsome boy who always wore a gray turban and carried out varied tasks at

 home.

The task he relished the most was bringing my lunch every day on a bicycle to my school which was on Avinashi road about three kilometers from where we stayed at Red fields, From 1200h my mind would be on the lunch and Sohani. In particular, the sweet paratha which my mother sent me every day. Sohni would bring a Tiffin carrier with cooked chicken, but I always looked forward to meeting Sohani and eating the sweet Paratha. Huge eagles always circled overhead and Sohani would be on guard and shoo them away.

After the lunch, he would pack everything and then would play a spot of cricket with me. I loved hitting the ball when Sohni threw the ball to me, Come Sunday and there was a cricket match. I was included and it so happened I was the youngest boy in the team. I remember Marshall, my senior (he was in the 10th standard) telling me “Look, Singh, we have included you, so chappie better play well”.

“At what position will I bat?” I asked.

“You will come in last at no 11” he replied.

This dismayed me, but Sohni was at my side and telling me “Look , I have prayed to the Guru and it's going to be a great match.”

  The match got underway and our opponents made 74. We now batted and our score read 48 for 9. I came into bat last and someone remarked that the match was over as you can’t expect a boy in the 4th standard to be able to make a mark with the seniors. As I walked into bat I saw Sohni waving to me and that bolstered my confidence. Marshal came and told me “just play with a straight bat and help me win this match”

I faced the first ball and slashed at it. The ball sped towards the third man and I was on my way. I held my end up and made 6 not out as Marshall made runs at the other end. We made 75 for 9 and won and I was elated, but perhaps if Sohni had not cheered me, I would not have faced the senior bowlers with confidence.

Sohni was a permanent fixture in our house and he also got friendly with our dog, a foxhound named Teddy as well. Teddy was, of course, my favorite and he would respond to my whistle with a yelp of joy and rush towards me.Those were excellent days. As Sohni grew up my father as a reward for years of work with us got him recruited as a driver in the Air Force. As a youngster (Pilot Officer) I met him when he was a sergeant. He smiled and patted me “baby, those were the days, at Coimbatore. Can't they come back again?”

Memories come and go, but I will always remember Sohani or Sohan Singh forever. He is now retired and stays in the village, but for me, he is more than a family help, he was a friend.